The CBJ Writer

With the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs 2023-24 Series on the line tonight, this promised to be a spectacular game and did not disappoint. At 4:14, Mitchell Marner would give his Leafs an early lead 1-0. But, at 11:17, the fourth goal of Cole Sillinger's season would even up the score at 1-1! His goal would give Jake Bean his third assist of his season. At 12:55, Auston Matthews would pick up where he left off last week (hattrick) and pop another goal into the Blue Jackets' net. So, it would be the Leafs by a goal after twenty minutes of play.  As if the Blue Jackets need to lose more players, Elvis Merzlikins would be out for the entire second period due to illness. He was not ruled out for the game at this point, though. So, Daniil Tarasov would become the backup to Spencer Marton, and the second period would get underway. It would kick off with another Leafs goal, this time from Nicholas Roberson, at 1:35. After this, Spencer Martin would get set in the net, a...

 I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. It's been three days, and the Blue Jackets are back on the ice and on the road in New Jersey. Period one would be a fairly even fight. At 6:39, the first goal would come from the Blue Jackets' own Jake Bean. This is his second goal of the season and would result in an early lead for the visiting Columbus team. This goal would add a second assist to Brenden Gaunce's assist total this season and number six to Alexander Texier's. As I said, this was a reasonably even period, and the Devils would make it 1-1 thanks to Ondrej Palat at 9:55. Again, it was an even first period, and it would come to an end with that 1-1 score.  Period two would have a big plus and a scary minus for the Blue Jackets. First, at 8:28, the Blue Jackets would regain their lead thanks to Justin Danforth's ninth goal this season. David Jiricek gains his eighth assist, while Adam Fantilli gains number twelve. Unfortunately, for this team, there is rarely any ...

The Blue Jackets would look to add another win to their season tonight as the Toronto Maple Leafs would come to town, heading into the Christmas Holiday on a high note. Period one would be full of potential for both teams, but only the Leafs would score. The goal would come from Auston Matthews, who scored at 8:20. So the Blue Jackets would go into the locker room only down a goal but also without Sean Kuraly. About 0:19 seconds would be added to the second twenty-minute period as the Blue Jackets summoned the paramedics after Kuraly took a nasty smash between two players, followed by a puck to the body. It was a scary sight, but not long after, we'd find out that Kuraly would be okay, and we could all breathe a sigh of relief. That said, he wouldn't play in the notified second period. It is important to note that after this period took place, during the second intermission, it was announced he'd be taken to Grant Medical Center as a "precaution' due to an "ab...

It's hard to believe that tonight is the final time this season that the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets will face off. Tonight, the Blue Jackets would look to capitalize against the Capitals after their huge 9-4 win at the Sabers two days ago. It would take until 18:24 into the first period for a goal to come, and it would favor the Capitals. The Blue Jackets would do everything good but score. That said, Anthony Mantha would have the first goal of the game and the only one in this period, giving his team a 1-0 lead.  The Blue Jackets would come out swinging in period two, though, and at 15:18, it would finally pay off. This goal was originally given to Emil Bemstrom, but in the third period, it was reassigned to Cole Sillinger's third goal this season. Emil Bemstrom would take the primary assist, his fifth this season, while Johnny Gaudreau would add his fifteenth. Unfortunately, Anthony Mantha would rain on the Blue Jackets' 1-1 tie at 17:24. This would be ...

All I want for Christmas is to write about an epic road win, and Santa Stinger came!   It may be winter, but the Blue Jackets lit up the Buffalo Sabers home ice tonight. After an early goal on Daniil Tarasov just 0:30 into the first period by Sabers' Rasmus Dahlin, the Blue Jackets engine would turn full speed and not slow down. Johnny Gaudreau would start the scoring landslide at 10:35, gaining his sixth goal this season and giving Adam Fantilli his tenth assist this season. Entering the double digits in his assist category was just the beginning for Adam Fantilli this period, as the next goal would belong to him, giving him nine total this rookie season. This goal would come at 14:40 and give Johnny Gaudreau his number in assists (thirteen) and allow Ivan Proverov to hit sixteen. The lead would then expand by a Kirill Marchenko goal that was a true beauty between the legs. Honestly, the amount of skill this goal took and came from such a young player is astounding. The goal ...

With the nail-biting overtime win for the Blue Jackets on Thursday night in the past, the team would come into tonight hoping to win in regular time. Unfortunately, this game wouldn't start in the home team's favor. One of the NHL's Living Legends, Jack Hughes, would score less than a minute into this game at 0:47. It was early for the newly returned Daniil Trasov. Still, with 16:21 left in this first twenty-minute period, a second puck from Erik Haula would zip past Tarasov. So, the Devils would head into the locker room with a 2-0 lead.  That said, just 0:12 into period two, Kirill Mrchenko would pop one into the Devils' net and get the Blue Jackets a goal! It was a single assist on this Marchenko goal, and it would be Johnny Gaudreau's twelfth assist this season. The Devils would find the net again at 0:50, though, as Tyler Toffoli would give his Devils back their two-goal lead. The Blue Jackets would need an answer, and Yegor Chinakov would have it at 8:38. Andr...

The Blue Jackets would look to bounce back from their hard-fought home loss against the Panthers Sunday, which showed early on! At 6:19, we watched as Patrik Laine sent home goal six of his season and tonight's game's first goal. With the only assist on Laine's goal, Kent Johnson would expand his amount to four in his short time playing in the NHL this season. The only other goal this period would belong to Kent Johnson, giving him a pair this season and a multipoint game just 11:56 into the first period! Again, just one assist on this Johnson goal would be the second for Andrew Peek. A 2-0 lead is nice, but in the NHL, it could be a better lead. No worries, though; the Blue Jackets will add more goals in period two!   At 8:16, it would be Justin Danforth's turn for a goal. This gives him seven now this season and plenty of time for more. Ivan Proverov has continued to prove himself to be a great off-season pickup for the Blue Jackets, and he'd continue this with hi...